supported by the Archaeology Issue 3 April 2002

his is the third arc h a e o l o g y newsletter assembled by South Inside this issue... TG l o u c e s t e r s h i re Council, much of which has been written by Danielle ◗ Romans in South page 3 Wootton, a placement student from Oxford University. The newsletter is ◗ intended to keep people in touch with Witchcraft and Wizardry page 4 all the region’s archaeological issues, be they talks, exhibitions, curre n t ◗ Kingswood Museum page 7 excavations or finds within the a rea. Please send suggestions for inclusions in future issues to Richard Osgood.

Acton Court

The Poyntz family owned Acton Court from p rogramme, were substantially funded by 1364 until 1680. The buildings’ fortunes English Heritage. declined in the 20th century and were Following the article on Acton Court published neglected, as a result a unique Tudor building in the last newsletter, we now have details of has been pre s e rved largely intact. Major the opening dates for the great Tudor house in building works, part of a ten year conservation 2002.

Opening dates for 2002 Saturday 30th March to Sunday 21st April Saturday 3rd August to Sunday 8th September Pre booking is essential. For a booking form, send an SAE to: Acton Court, Latteridge Road, Iron Acton, Bristol, BS37 9TJ. Or e-mail: [email protected]. Telephone: 01454 228 224 Booking forms can also be collected from the Thornbury Tourist Office, High Street. Thornbury. Thanks to Bath Archaeological Trust for images of Acton Court

A HALF YEARLY NEWSLETTER PRODUCED BY SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL 1 “Finds Spot”

An Iron Cannon Ball Dr John Wroughton

his iron cannon ball, dating from the civil But the Royalists managed to force the war period, weighs a hefty 3 lbs and 7 Parliamentarians back to their earthworks on the Tounces, and was found on Freezing Hill, Lansdown ridge. Then, the Royalists, encouraged which lies both in Doynton and Cold Ashton by their success at driving Waller’s men back, parishes. The cannon ball was fired during decided to charge the earthworks. But Waller was fighting between the Parliamentarians, and the cunning. In the earthworks the parliamentarians supporters of King Charles, known as Royalists. had dug were all the cannons and lots of muske- This type of cannon ball would have been fired by teers. The cavalry and reserve infantry were a ‘Minion’ gun. These were very difficult to move behind these, whilst in the woods on either side, around because they were more musketeers were at so heavy; it took four the ready. As the Royalist horses or twenty men to men began to charge up move just one minion gun. the steep slope, they were Several musket balls have bombarded by cannon balls been found around the like the one in the photo- fields at Lansdown and graph, and by musket fire. Batheaston, these were made of lead. Even though The parliamentarian cavalry smaller than a cannon ball, made five charges, during a musket bullet could leave which time, the leader of an exit wound the size of a the Cornish Infantry plate when fired at a per- division of the Royalists, Sir son. The battles of the civil Bevil Grenvile was seriously war period were fierce and wounded. He was taken to bloody. After a battle many people would be left the Old Rectory at Cold Ashton, where he died in on the field with severe wounds from musket the dining room. The depleted Royalist cavalry bullets, pikes (up to 14 foot long spikes carried by fled the battle field, but the brave Cornish ‘pikemen’), and sharpened swords. Infantry branch stayed on to fight, and managed to push back the Parliamentarians a hundred The Royalists plan was to march on London, but yards. before they could do this, they had to take Bath and Bristol, thus securing a stronghold in the The royalists took over the earthworks, whilst the West Country. The Parliamentarians wanted to Parliamentarians now had to take cover behind a defend Bath, and push back the Royalist forces. wall. This wall can still be seen today, with the On Sunday 2nd July 1643, the Royalists reached holes in the walls where they pushed their Minion B r a d f o rd -o n - . A series of skirmishes guns through in order to fire at the Royalists. occurred around the area of Lansdown over the Throughout the dimming light of dusk the two next few days, with the final battle taking place at armies continued to fire at each other. During the Lansdown on Wednesday 5th July 1643. night however, Waller, who was known as the ‘night owl’ silently manoeuvred his troops away As the sun was rising on the Wednesday morning, to Bath for reinforcements, and refreshment. The the Royalist army, which had camped at Marshfield Royalists had spent all their ammunition in the over night, began to march towards Bath. They battle, and had no cavalry. The next morning at stopped in a cornfield on Tog Hill, where they dawn, they withdrew to Marshfield, and noticed in the distance that the Parliamentarian abandoned their attack on the city of Bath. army had dug itself in on the ridge of Lansdown. Many thanks to Dr John Wroughton, historian and Waller, the leader of the Parliamentarian troops expert on the English Civil Wars, for the account sent several cavalry and dragoons down the ridge of the battle and for the photograph of the in succession to harass the Royalists on Tog Hill. cannon ball

2 Romans in South Gloucestershire

Romans in South Gloucestershire: CD-ROM launch Pupils, Ro m a n Soldiers, TV presenter Julian Richards, and Oxford Academic, Dr. Martin Henig teamed up at St. Mary ’ s Shopping Centre , T h o r n b u ry, to cele- brate the launch of a new educational CD-ROM called ‘The Romans in South Gloucestershire’. The launch was attended by members of the Ermine Street Guard in full Roman legionary uniform, together with pupils from St. Mary’s Primary School in Thornbury, Bailey’s Court Primary School in Bradley Stoke, and members of the Young Archaeologists Club Bristol and The CD-ROM, aimed at Key Stage II pupils, was Bath region. distributed free of charge to every Primary School in South Gloucestershire. It covers Julian Richards, the TV presenter and many topics on the Romans from Buildings to Archaeologist from BBC’s ‘Meet the Ancestors’ Religion, and Trade to Language. A support and ‘Blood of the Vikings’ gave an entertaining pack, designed to compliment the CD ROM, talk on Archaeology in schools. Richard containing some real and replica Ro m a n Osgood, the Archaeology Promotion Officer objects can be borrowed, free of charge, by for South Gloucestershire Council, then gave a Primary Schools in the area. demonstration of the CD-ROM on a large projection screen. Attendees were also able to The CD-ROM has been partly funded by the see a display of Ro m a n o-British artefacts Heritage Lottery Fund, Barratt Homes, and TL found in South Gloucestershire, which were on Visuals. And was produced by Re d h e a d loan for the day from Bristol Museum and Art designs. Gallery.

Archaeology - Issue 3 April 2002 3 Witchcraft and Wizardry

he advent of the Harry Po t t e r It is thought that the shoes, books, and the recent film release made of leather and mould- Thas certainly raised the profile of ed to the wearer’s individual one particular native from South shape of the foot, were the Gloucestershire- JK Rowling. most ‘personal’ items that many people would have The author of the Harry Potter books was born in owned. The shoes protected Chipping Sodbury in 1965, and until she was nine the wearer by attracting the she lived in Winterbourne. Her father worked at curses and evils instead of the actual person. Rolls Royce in Pa t c h w a y. Whilst attending St. Michael’s School, JK Rowling encountered Other objects were sometimes used as charms to Mr Alfred Dunn who was then the head ward away evil. For instance, 2 spoons teacher. He became the inspiration for a were found to have been deliberately certain Mr Dumbledore, the wise concealed at a house in Nibley, whilst at and admirable head teacher at Wickwar a Bellarmine flask was found Hogwarts School in the Harry which contained a deposit of metal and Potter books. Appare n t l y, JK animal bones. Rowling’s early years at In his study on witchcraft, Professor Winterbourne were spent playing Keith Thomas of Oxford University games of witches and wizards uncovered evidence for people in with Diana, her sister, and their South Gloucestershire friends the Potter children. claiming to be able to Wizardry and the battle cure the disease of against good and evil in s c rofula by the South Gloucestershire l a y i n g -on of is, of course, much hands. “A older than the Harry blacksmith in Potter books. C r o m h a l l , T h e re is evidence G l o u c e s t e r- of folk magic and shire, claimed superstitions carr y- to have per- ing on for centuries formed some throughout the area. successful cures One seemingly well of the Evil and established tradition was re c o m m e n d e d was to conceal shoes in 1648 to sufferers within buildings. They have in other parts of the been found hidden within the country” (Religion and the walls, chimneys, and floorboards of Decline of Magic, 1978, 234). all kinds of structures such as cottages, This cure for this disease was farms, churches, synagogues, schools, and even supposedly a Royal preserve but the South museums throughout . In South Gloucestershire resident clearly saw a gap in the G l o u c e s t e r s h i re, a market with the decline of Charles I! h o a rd of boots and Truth is often just as shoes was thought to strange as fiction, and it be found in a house on just goes to show that the High Street in South Gloucestershire Thornbury. At Yate, a was a mysterious place h o a rd was found before Harry Potter was between the barn and even thought of. a hall house dated between 1450-1500. The woodcuts of witches are from: http://www.godecookery.com/clipart/clart.htm

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